# Harry Chiti > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harry_Chiti > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harry_Chiti.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Chiti > Source revision: 1272642078 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American baseball player (1932–2002)}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Harry Chiti |image=Harry Chiti.jpg |caption=Harry Chiti in 1952 at the [Polo Grounds](/source/Polo_Grounds) |position=[Catcher](/source/Catcher) |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1932|11|16}} |birth_place=[Kincaid, Illinois](/source/Kincaid%2C_Illinois), U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|2002|1|31|1932|11|16}} |death_place=[Haines City, Florida](/source/Haines_City%2C_Florida), U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 27 |debutyear=1950 |debutteam=Chicago Cubs |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=June 10 |finalyear=1962 |finalteam=New York Mets |statleague = MLB |stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) |stat1value=.238 |stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s |stat2value=41 |stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in) |stat3value=179 |teams= *[Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs) ({{mlby|1950}}–{{mlby|1952}}, {{mlby|1955}}–{{mlby|1956}}) *[Kansas City Athletics](/source/Kansas_City_Athletics) ({{mlby|1958}}–{{mlby|1960}}) *[Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1961}}) *[New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) ({{mlby|1962}}) }} '''Harry Dominic Chiti Jr.''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|iː|t|iː}} {{respell|CHEE|tee}}) (November 16, 1932 – January 31, 2002) was an American [catcher](/source/catcher) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball). He appeared in 502 games over all or parts of ten seasons between {{mlby|1950}} and {{mlby|1962}} for the [Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs), [Kansas City Athletics](/source/Kansas_City_Athletics), [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) and [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets). Chiti batted and threw right-handed, and was listed as {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and {{convert|221|lb}}. Born in [Kincaid, Illinois](/source/Kincaid%2C_Illinois), he was the father of major league [coach](/source/Coach_(baseball)) [Dom Chiti](/source/Dom_Chiti). He is known for being the first MLB player to be traded for himself.{{cite web |last1=Best |first1=Jason |title=Harry Chiti – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/harry-chiti-2/ |access-date=10 January 2025}} ==Career== A competent defensive catcher with a great ability to handle the [knuckleball](/source/knuckleball), Chiti was 17 years old when he broke into the majors with the Chicago Cubs in September 1950, and he made infrequent appearances in [MLB](/source/MLB) from 1950 to 1952 as he learned his trade in the Cubs' [farm system](/source/farm_system). After two years in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) during the [Korean War](/source/Korean_War), Chiti returned to Chicago and handled the starting job in 1955, [batting](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) .231 with 11 [home run](/source/home_run)s and 41 [RBI](/source/runs_batted_in) in a career-high 113 [games](/source/games_played). In 1956, Chiti shared catching duties with [Hobie Landrith](/source/Hobie_Landrith). On May 30 (Memorial Day) he made an entry for himself in Cubs trivia, during the second game of a windblown doubleheader against the [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves), in which 39 runs were scored overall. While being intentionally walked, Chiti hit [Ray Crone](/source/Ray_Crone)'s pitch, delivered a little too close to the outside corner of the plate, into the right field corner for a triple.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/05/30/memorial-day-brings-out-wrigley-memories/|title=Memorial Day brings out Wrigley memories|website=chicagotribune.com|date=May 30, 2006 |access-date=June 2, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B05302CHN1956.htm|title=Retrosheet Boxscore: Milwaukee Braves 11, Chicago Cubs 9 (2)|website=www.retrosheet.org|accessdate=June 2, 2017}} At season's end, he was sent to the [1956 World Series](/source/1956_World_Series) champion [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees) but never saw any action with the Bronx Bombers. He was drafted by the [Kansas City Athletics](/source/Kansas_City_Athletics) from New York in the 1957 [Rule 5 draft](/source/Rule_5_draft). Chiti played with the Athletics from 1958 to 1960. The next three years, he was part of transactions between the A's, Detroit Tigers, [Baltimore Orioles](/source/Baltimore_Orioles) and [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians). On April 25, 1962—before he played a game for the Indians—Chiti was acquired by the expansion New York Mets for a [player to be named later](/source/player_to_be_named_later). However, he was sent ''back'' to the Indians on June 15, 1962, after 15 games and a .195 batting average.[http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1149582/7/15/index.htm CNN/Sports Illustrated] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204043632/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1149582/7/15/index.htm |date=February 4, 2009 }} "Worst Individual Seasons By a Team-1962 New York Mets" Chiti was the "player to be named later"; he became the first MLB player to be traded for himself. Three other players have been traded for themselves: [Dickie Noles](/source/Dickie_Noles), [Brad Gulden](/source/Brad_Gulden), and [John McDonald](/source/John_McDonald_(infielder)). Chiti never played in another major league game, spending his last two years with the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring after the 1964 season. Harry Chiti died on January 31, 2002, at Heart of Florida Hospital in [Haines City](/source/Haines_City%2C_Florida), at the age of 69. He was survived by his wife Catherine; his daughter Cindy; his son, former minor league pitcher and coach, Dom; and eight grandchildren. He is buried at Rolling Hills Cemetery in [Winter Haven, Florida](/source/Winter_Haven%2C_Florida). ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Baseballstats|mlb=|espn=br=c/chitiha01|fangraphs=|brm=chiti-001har|retro=C/Pchith101}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Chiti, Harry}} Category:1932 births Category:2002 deaths Category:United States Army personnel of the Korean War Category:Baseball players from Christian County, Illinois Category:Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Denver Bears players Category:Des Moines Bruins players Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Indios de Oriente players Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Kansas City Athletics players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente catchers Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:New York Mets players Category:Richmond Virginians (minor league) players Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:Springfield Cubs players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harry Chiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Chiti) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Chiti?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.